Volunteer project: The volunteer
project combines two types of activities: reforestation and environmental work
in Chiriboga and educational activities in a coastal
community, teaching basic English, computer classes and environmental
protection practices in schools.

In the first part of the project, the volunteers will
help in the Chiriboga Reserve, located 50 kilometers south west of the
capital city Quito, at an altitude of 1,680 meters above sea level. The
reserve is part of the cloud forest of the northern foothills of the
Andes and is home to a great variety of birds and animals, including
some endangered species. The volunteers will
be involved in reforestation and nature protection work in the reserve.
For the second part of the project, the volunteers will travel to the
Coast, to teach basic English lessons and organise intercultural
exchange activities in schools of the Canton Jipijapa
in the province of Manabí.

On the first day, the volunteers will have an
introduction about the activities and aims of the project, about the
schools and the communities which they will support in the second part
of the workcamp, as well as information about the local culture, food,
customs and traditions. On the next day, the group will travel to the Reserve.
The activities at the reserve will vary and may include: helping with
reforestation projects, inventory of plants, monitoring and labeling of
trees, cleaning water canals, maintenance of trails and opening new
ones, etc. The volunteers will be split into groups
to take part in different activities with the help of a forest
technician. We will also continue with the construction of a
multi-purpose hall, where in the future we will give Environmental
classes and information to students and volunteers.

At the end of the
first part of the project, the group will come back to Quito for a free
day and a visit to the Otavalo Market. The next day, the volunteers will travel to the
Coast to assist in country schools in Jipijapa. For the rest of the
project, the volunteers’ main task will be teaching basic English
classes in different schools in Canton Jipijapa. Depending on the volunteer’s skills in Spanish, some
participants can give talks on environmental protection. The group will
also do some community work.

Leisure time: In the free time, the
volunteers can go to the beach or visit the La Plata Island (known as “the
Galapagos of the poor”) to see the whales. The local host can
give assistance with planning activities for the weekends.

Language: The official language of
the project is English. However, basic knowledge of Spanish is required.

Accommodation: Accommodation and
food in Quito and in Chiriboga is provided in houses, in shared rooms,
where all the volunteers stay together. During the second part of the
project, accommodation is provided with middle class host families of
Jipijapa town (one or two volunteers per family). Three meals a day are provided
except on the days off when the volunteers are usually away from the project
site, travelling and exploring the area.